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Coffee farmer Enrique Colmenarez arrived in Dane County on March 25 and spent a busy week meeting people, doing interviews, and giving presentations about Dane County's sister county in Venezuela: Andres Eloy Blanco.

Visits include local government, the UW Center for Cooperatives, Just Coffee cooperative, the Dane County Farmer's Market, Drumlin Farm, a tour of area farms with Family Farm Defenders, UW Latin American studies program, and a few radio interviews. Mr. Colmenarez gave presentations on campus, at a local coffee shop.

The trip served partly as a fact-finding trip to see what interests and expertise we have here in Dane County that might be interesting to share. Mr. Colmenarez identified a few areas where Dane County citizens have expertise that might be helpful in Andres Eloy Blanco, such as soil and water quality, farmer's markets, promoting buying locally, and improving coffee production.

Now DASA will begin discussion of how we might further this people-to-people relationship by having Dane County residents visit the country of Andres Eloy Blanco in Venezuela. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, February 17th
sponsored by the Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance and CALA
Dane County - Venezuela Sister County Meeting
6 pm - Rainbow Bookstore Cooperative - 431 W. Gilman St
Working to build solidarity and understanding with the people of Venezuela, the Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance (DASA) will meet to plan the upcoming visit of a Venezuelan delegate to Dane County as well our summer delegation to Venezuela.

Come join us for a community gathering with the music of: Sonidos Suaves, Grupo Rubalcava and Son Mudanza, performing Latin American nueva trova, nueva cancion and bolero songs. Mexican pastries and Venezuelan coffee from Andres Eloy Blanco, our new sister county provided by Just Coffee and the Dane-Andres Eloy Blanco Sistering Alliance (DASA)